Eskimos
It was so cold today, that I joked to one of the driver/conductors on the 38 bus, that they were outsourcing them with Eskimos.
But seriously, on The One Show tonight, a doctor said that Eskimos shake their hands to keep them warm. I shall be trying it, if this weather persists.
I have heard from my friend in The Netherlands, that it could be as low as -13°C in Rotterdam with quite a bit of snow on the ground.
Hopefully, it won’t get that cold here tonight.
Cromwell Tower In The Mist
I took this picture yesterday, a couple of hours after the helicopter crashed in Vauxhall.
Cromwell Tower In The Mist
Helicopters over London, have to fly under what are known as Visual Flight Rules. In layman’s language you must be able to see where you are going.
The visibility yesterday wasn’t good. I have flown fixed wing aircraft in such conditions and it is not easy. But the difference with a fixed wing aircraft is that you can use instruments to climb through the cloud and get on top of the muck. Provided of course you have the flight ratings to do it, which I had and the airspace rules allow it.
Sometimes the best decision you can take when flying any aircraft is to push it back in the hangar.
Is This Going To Be My Worse New Year’s Eve Ever?
I don’t know, but let’s face it the weather doesn’t get any better as the day rumbles on. When I went to Otto’s Pizzadrome, it wasn’t raining, but when I left God was sending every bit of water, she could in our direction. As I got the bus home, intrepid tourists from Asia were braving the rain on a tour bus.
Intrepid Tourists
I can never understand people using tour buses in London, as you get almost as good a view from some of the regular buses, like the 38 with its New Buses for London and the 9 and 15, with its fifty year old Routemasters. And of course you never get wet! Surely someone must have written a book about touring London by Oyster on buses, trains, trams etc.
When I went out an hour or so ago to get a few bits at the littleWaitrose at Highbury Corner, it was still raining madly and I got wet in the short walk to the shop.
So I did the lazy thing and got the first bus I found, which was a 43 going past Carluccio’s at Upper Street, but in the wrong way to get home.
I just had a coffee there and then sneaked down the side of the building to the Essex Road to get a 38 bus home. It was a bit of a detour and it cost me the price of a coffee, but at least I got home in a dryish state.
I doubt, I’ll venture out again, unless it really does stop raining. I have a fish pie, if I need something substantial, but otherwise, I’ve some eggs, bread and a small tin of beans. And of course, plenty of beer and Aspall’s cyder.
So does this look like it’s going to be my worst New Year’s Eve?
I think not! Unless of course, a Jumbo Jet should land on my house or some other serious disaster happens!
I had some pretty bad ones as a child, as my parents didn’t really do New Year, although I did have a couple of good ones in my late teens serving in The Merryhills at Oakwood. The least said about one evening there, the better!
C generally wasn’t in to New Year either, except when we used to go hunting as a family on New Year’s Day. We also had some good ones when we managed to get away to places like Majorca or Venice, but for the last twenty years or so with horses, they usually came first. And a couple of those in particular were pretty grim, as it never stopped raining, and there were masses of horses to muck out and feed.
So on a scale of one to ten, I suspect tonight will be about five, whilst I’ve had a few very low scores in my time.
I hope, I haven’t spoken too soon.
London’s Swedish Black Cab Driver
I found this article about London’s only Swedish black cab driver.
I wonder what other unusual or unexpected nationalities drive London’s black cabs.
I remember years ago, when we lived in Suffolk, our postman was Californian. He’d come in the USAF, married an English girl and he’d stayed.
He actually preferred the climate, just like the Swedish cab driver says he does.
The Umbrellas Were Giving Up
Even umbrellas were giving up as the picture shows.
The Umbrellas Were Giving Up
The stewards were even allowing long possibly-dangerous ones into Portman Road.
Going South
I could have called this piece Going Southern or Wandering Through Sussex, but today’s trip was a bit of a nightmare.
I’m always a bit apprehensive going south of the Big Sewer, as inevitably when I do I get lost or something happens.
Today’s trip couldn’t have been simpler. I wanted to get to Bosham station, just to the west of Chichester to have lunch and walk by the sea with an old colleague. It appeared that now the new South London line is open, a start by going to Clapham Junction station would be a good idea. From there I would take the 09:38 towards Bognor Regis and change off this train at Barnham station for Bosham.
The first leg went very well and just a couple of minutes late, the lightly-loaded Overground train pulled into Clapham Junction. There was a slight problem in that there are no ticket machines by the Overground platforms and you have to go outside the gated area to get a ticket. I couldn’t complain about the price and it cost me just £15.30. As one connection from the Overground to the train I wanted was just a minute, you’re a bit stumped if you cut it fine and have a ticket to collect.
I could have done it as the 09:38 pulled into the station, about ten minutes late.
We ran well until Billingshurst, but then it all started to go wrong, as a train in front had broken down. Eventually, it became obvious, I wouldn’t make my connection, so I phoned my friend and we agreed, he’d pick me up at Chichester. Which is what happened, but we finally got to the restaurant in Bosham about an hour after we planned.
We had our lunch and a walk and then I was dropped back at Bosham station to get the train home. As my ticket allowed me to go via Havant, if I wanted, I wasn’t pleased to see the westbound train steaming out of the station, as I arrived on the platform. As the trains seemed to be running to a random edition of the timetable, I thought the best thing to do, was to take the first train to arrive, as most seemed t0 be either delayed or cancelled.
So I found myself on a Brighton train and felt the best thing to do, would be to ask the conductor’s advice, as to the best route back to Clapham Junction. But he was nowhere to be seen, so I decided to take my chances at Barnham station.
There I got advice to go to Worthing and get a London train from there, which is what I did. I finally arrived at Clapham Junction nearly three hours after being dropped at Bosham. The trip is scheduled to take around one hour fifty minutes.
To make matters worse, i just missed an Overground train at Clapham Junction and had to wait fifteen minutes. But there were no further delays and I thought the train was surprisingly full for an early evening one. It will be interesting to see how traffic builds in the next few months.
So why were the Southern trains late?
One of the rather overworked employees said is was all down to the cold and when I said it didn’t seem to happen on the Ipswich line, he blamed the third rail electrical system. Perhaps, now the long-since dead idiot who decided to use this system, is getting the criticism he deserves. After all Southern Railway did start electrification with an overhead system and then ripped it out in the late 1920s.
I should say too, that all the staff were very good and helped when they could. The advice to go via Worthing was totally spot on.
I think next time, I go south, I’ll check on the weather first!
It’s Cold Out There!
My air-conditioner has an outside temperature gauge.
It’s Cold Out There!
At least it’s a comfortable eighteen degrees inside.
My December Blues
I’ve been pretty down the last couple of weeks with my nose running like a drain and my left hand and foot feeling extremely cold. Admittedly the weather hasn’t been good with very little sun. In fact the odd day of sunshine has cheered me up.
I’ve also improved myself a bit, by adjusting my heating so that it is on all day downstairs at say 20°C and letting the heat permeate upstairs to where my living room, kitchen and bedroom are. I then use the air-conditioning to keep the temperature at 20°C with as high a humidity as possible. Over the last few days, I’ve brought the temperature down a degree or two and now as I sit here typing it’s just 18°C with a humidity of 44%.
The biggest effect has been on my gut, to which I would give a rating of 8/10. It’s not been like that much in my memory.
So I looked back at this blog to 2011, 2010 and 2009 and in my memory to other years.
In 2011, I found this post from December13th. I was obviously feeling down, but thought it was a tooth. I had it out and life didn’t really get much better. So was I suffereing similar December Blues.
In 2010, I moved on December 16th Perhaps because of the excitement of moving I didn’t seem to be too low, but I had had a bad period in September.
2009 was the last year in which I had a December holiday. I went to Goa with an honourable lady and I felt very good.
2008 was pretty bad although I did have an excellent Christmas.
Obviously 2007 was awful as C had just died.
If I go back in time, I can remember two things.
C and I often had a weekend away in the autumn and a long holiday after Christmas. She liked to be on call at Christmas, as it is a busy time for family barristers.
I also remember a discussion with my doctor, who thought I could be suffering from Seasonal Affected Disorder. I’ve also been told by an eminent cardiologist, that everybody needs a week in the sun around the turn of the year.
So perhaps the cure is in my own hands.
I should find a warm place with sun for a few days.
Were Economic Forecasters Invented To Make Weather Forecasters Look Good At Their Job?
This question was posed on Drive on BBC Radio 5 Live.
I like it!
British Coal In A British Grate
This phrase was quoted in an article in The Times today by David Aaronovitch, where he likens the arguments of those who don’t believe in climate change, global warming and renewable energy, with those who were against the Clean Air Act of 1956. The MP for Bromsgrove, Michael Higgs was the opponent of the Act, who Aaronovitch quoted.
I can remember the smogs of that time and they weren’t pleasant. The only good thing was that we got sent home early from my primary school; de Bohun in Southgate. Teachers would organise us into groups and put a responsible ten or eleven year old in charge. Our parents didn’t know we were coming home, but then most mothers didn’t work in the 1950s.
I don’t think they’d do that now!
The Anonymous Widower 